Writer's Block: 1000 Themes Challenge
by Sapphyre7
Summary: Drabbles in the Harry Potter Universe - different pairings. Trying to get over my Writer's Block so that I can continue with my other stories. Challenge # are not in order and I'm aiming for 1000 words per theme. Enjoy
1. 739 - Sick in Bed (Lucius & Narcissa)

**#739 – Sick in Bed.**

Narcissa stood over the stove, her wand moving the spoon around slowly. It should be ready any minute now. She had to repeatedly tell the House-Elves to leave her to it as they begged her to let them prepare it, begged her to go and relax herself. She sent the House-Elves to guard Lucius instead. To make sure that he stayed in bed, under no circumstances was he to get out.

Once the soup was ready, Narcissa headed up to the bedroom where Lucius was trying to struggle out of bed. The House-Elves were gathered around him trying to wrestle him back under the covers while ducking from his swipes. Narcissa placed the soup down on the bedside table before placing her wand into the water bowl that she had prepared earlier, cooling it. Once the water was a suitable temperature, she wrung the cloth out before approaching Lucius.

His blonde hair was heavy and stuck to his face with sweat but his eyes were wild as he tried repeatedly to get to his feet. Narcissa forced Lucius back into the bed with great effort and help from the House-Elves before tightening the blanket with a quick spell. Lucius looked at her a mixture of frustration, anger and exhaustion apparent on his face. He had been ill for a number of days, a sudden fever that struck him from nowhere. His body was weak, his mind as sharp as ever.

"Cissa, I need to be up." He grumbled as she placed the wet towel on his brow. "I can't just lie here all day." His eyes followed her hands as he shuddered at the cloth's touch.

"You can and you will." She said, sternly as she sat herself on her side of the bed. He had given up struggling against her, instead glaring at her. She levitated the bowl over towards her, lifting the spoon carefully before blowing on the soup to cool it.

"I hate soup." He grumbled, trying to turn his face away. Narcissa persisted, holding the spoon in front of his face.

"Don't be silly. I know it's your favourite." She brushed him off. Lucius turned his head away again from the spoon as though it was going to poison him. "Lucius." She chastised him. "I expect this from Draco. Not from you."

"Draco's two."

"Exactly." She sighed, remembering that it wouldn't be long before she had Draco to deal with also. She'd put Draco down for his nap around an hour ago, he'd be up soon. She felt like she had two children on her hands, and Draco was the easier to manage of the two. Lucius sighed and opened his mouth allowing Narcissa to feed him the soup that had been waiting on the spoon. Lucius frowned as it washed over his tongue.

"It's cold." He muttered.

"If you had eaten it straight away, it wouldn't be." She retorted. "All the more reason to eat this up before it goes cold as well." She moved another spoonful to his mouth. "Now open wide."

"I'm not a child." Lucius grumbled as he ate the second spoonful.

"Are you sure about that?" She smirked. Lucius tried to hide his smile as he moved himself up onto his elbows. Once he'd finished his soup, he pushed the blanket back. "And what do you think you're doing?"

"I feel a bit better after that." He tried. Narcissa stood up straight, looking at him warningly.

"You'll never get better if you don't rest Lucius."

"I've got things to do." He grumbled, trying to get passed her.

"Do you want our son to get sick?" She barked, losing her cool.

"What? No of course not, Cissa." He seemed bewildered.

"If you insist on walking around this house and spreading your germs, that'll be exactly what happens." Lucius sunk back into a sitting position in the bed. "That's what I thought."

"You drive a hard bargain Mrs Malfoy."

"So I've been told." She smiled, cooling the water in the bowl once more before soaking the towel in it. He let her apply it to his head with ease as she tucked the blankets in around him.

"You do realise the Elves would have done all of this." He informed her. "You should have taken a rest with Draco."

"I'm your wife. It's my job."

"You need your rest as well." He muttered. She could see that he was tiring, his eyelids growing heavy, his blinking increasing as he tried to keep himself awake.

"I'll rest once you're better." She told him as she poured out his medicine quickly so that he would take it before he slept. "Here, take this before you fall asleep."

"Why don't you sleep with me?" He asked her, looking at her space next to him.

"Draco will be awake soon, I'll have to see to him." Lucius frowned causing Narcissa to sigh. "I'll lie with you. But once Draco awakens, I'll have to see to him." She told him as she lay down in her usual space.

"You work too hard." He told her as she curled into the crook of his arm. She didn't close her eyes, scared that if she did she would fall into a deep slumber. Lucius' body was warm against her, his grip firm even though he was without his strength. It wasn't long before he started snoring quietly against her forehead. Narcissa allowed herself to relax against him, her body starting to slump after the busyness of the last few days. She could feel her eyelids getting heavier, her muscles starting to relax as she finally succumbed to her exhaustion.

Her eyes must have been closed for a mere moment before they flew open. The sound of crying filled her ears as she wrenched herself from Lucius' arms and threw herself from the bed. It was Draco and from the sound of his cries, he'd caught Lucius' bug.


	2. 999 - Zinnia (Luna & Neville)

**#999 - Zinnia**

"It's a test silly." Luna mused, twirling a strand of her blonde hair around her pinky finger.

"I don't understand – what is it you want me to do again?" Neville bumbled, trailing after her. Luna span around, smiling at him before spinning on her heels again. She could barely stand still.

"It's simple really." She said, changing her direction as some leaves on the wind caught her attention. Neville had to walk fast to keep up. "You love Herbology right? Consider it a challenge. If you can find out what my favourite flower is and bring it to me, then you can set me a challenge." She giggled, snatching a couple of leaves from the wind. "See you later Neville."

Neville watched her as she ran off, her hair blowing in the wind. He couldn't help but regret telling Luna that he felt as though Herbology was starting to get too easy. She'd been all too willing to set him a task, something to test him, something to alleviate his boredom.

It didn't take him long to find his first flower. He found some white tulips in Hagrid's garden and picked the nicest one – with Hagrid's express permission of course. He sought out Luna sitting on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. She was curled up sitting on a rock, eating an apple as she stared into the Forest. Neville approached her, trying to clamber up the rock himself. It took him a few attempts to establish his footing before he collapsed next to Luna. He handed her the flower as she handed him her half-eaten apple. She studied it for a moment before placing it in her hair.

"It's a beautiful flower." She commented, sliding down the rock. "But it's not the one." She giggled as she reached her feet. "Maybe next time. Catch you later, Neville!" She skipped off towards the greenhouses as Neville watched her with wonder. There was no other person in the world like Luna. Not one. That's what made the challenge all the more important.

After Neville had tried roses, daffodils, daises and pansies of all different colours, he decided to go to Hermione for help. Deep in her studies, Hermione picked up a book and flicked a few pages. She stopped halfway and pointed to a name of a flower. Neville was surprised. He thought Hermione would have had a better idea than this. Neville spoke to Hagrid, who ruled it out – deeming it out of his reach. So Neville wrote to his Grandmother and received the flower in the mail a few weeks later. He also received a whole host of questions from his Grandmother – _who was this girl? How long had he been seeing her? She must be worth it for all of this effort!_

Neville found Luna in the Hospital Wing after a particularly nasty fall in her common room. He had a feeling that something untoward had happened but dared not question Luna on it.

"Hi Neville!" She greeted him cheerfully from her bed. "Do you have another flower for me?"

"I do." He smiled, sitting himself down on the chair next to the bed. He pulled the box from his pocket and handed it to her in the bed. She raised an eyebrow, taking the box tentatively.

"I've never heard of a flower that comes in a box before." She muttered as she cracked the lid.

"I had to get it sent specially." Luna looked at him with a faint look of shock. Her eyes took in the edelweiss in front of her as Neville looked on in hope.

"Oh Neville, it's beautiful." She traced her fingers around the seal. "What is it?"

He felt disheartened by the fact that it wasn't the right flower but at the same time he was glad that she liked it. Neville told her all about the flower and once they'd finished talking about the flower, they talked about a whole host of other things until Neville finally got what had happened to her in the common room out of her.

Neville had been searching for the right flower for months and then he had a brainwave. He asked Harry if he could borrow Hedwig to send a letter to Luna's father. It wasn't cheating. Luna had never set any rules in place that stopped him from questioning her father on her favourite flower. He received his answer within days and was stunned at the response. He would have never guessed. He'd never even heard of it. If he had went alphabetically through flowers, it would have been the bottom of the list. Literally. It would have taken him years. Once Neville knew that he had the right flower, he could barely wait for his Grandmother to send it over to him. Her response was filled with more questions. _Who is this girl Neville? And why can't she just like normal flowers?_ Neville laughed at her response. There was no way Luna would ever like normal flowers as she was as far from normal as was humanely possible – and Neville loved it.

He caught up to her as she was walking from lunch. He shouted out to her and came skidding to a halt. He handed her the box and Luna giggled.

"Another boxed flower?"

"Another one specially ordered." He smiled back at her, waiting for the moment that she popped the lid and realised he'd completed her challenge.

"The best kind." She mused as she peeked inside. She squealed at the sight of it, taking the flower gingerly and smelling it deeply with her eyes closed. "Oh thank you Neville, thank you so much." She hugged him tightly around the middle, careful not to crush the flower that she had placed back into the box and sealed back up. She invited Neville to walk with her and he did. She told him all about the flower's significance, how her mother used to grow them in her garden. How they reminded her of childhood and of her mother. All the while Neville was gathering the courage, the courage to set Luna her own challenge in return. How he hoped that she would say yes.


End file.
